LIHUE — For the final weekend before Christmas, Kukui Grove Center, the largest shopping center on the island, announced a full schedule of shopping, entertainment and holiday magic that started Thursday.
Mele Makeke opened Thursday and will remain open until Christmas Eve when the doors shut at 5 p.m.
“Kukui Grove will be closing early at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve,” said Melissa McFerrin Warrack of the Kukui Grove management team. “The shopping center will be closed on Christmas, but the days after Christmas are also very important days for Kukui Grove. This is very rare, but the first day of Hanukkah falls on Dec. 25. We’ll be looking at Hannakah activities from Dec. 26.”
The Mele Makeke that opened on Black Friday will be adding a bunch of pop-up vendors, including Simply Sisters from the Big Island, Lex Breezy, and Kane Collective from Honolulu.
To accommodate these highly anticipated vendors, Kristyn Ishibashi Peralta, the organizer of Mele Makeke, said customers can use the entry on the parking lot side of the Macy’s Mens building while the vendors are at Kukui Grove.
“We take care of our customers,” said Kimo Miller of Simply Sisters. “We’ll have entertainment, and serve up some Spam musubi in addition to the store specials like half-price discounts and some doorbuster specials.”
Other vendors include Aloha Wahine from Honolulu, which set up adjacent to Jamba Juice; Henua, which is setting up next to Santa’s Hale; and the K+M Market, which will fill spaces throughout the shopping center on Saturday.
Popular entertainer Ron Toki started the entertainment lineup on Thursday where the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School Choir and Ukulele played at the food court stage.
The Aloha Friday program brings the Sunset Swing Band. Prior to the sounds of the Sunset Swing Band, ukulele virtuoso Aldrine Guerrero and his ukulele academy will be doing Christmas caroling outside the Mele Makeke.
Mary Lardizabal and the Kapaa Middle School Ukulele fills the Saturday lunchtime spot, and Hank Curtis, the Poi Dogs, and the Tom Saveli Band will fill the Sunday music offerings.
The Kapaa Middle School band plays during the Monday Pau Hana Market.
All that joins the regular holiday offerings of Photos With Santa. Santa will be available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Dec. 23, but is off on his rounds starting Christmas Eve.
The Festival of Lights with Elizabeth Freeman will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. from Friday through Christmas Eve, also located in the Macy’s Mens building with the vendors.
In addition, the Holiday Light Spectacular will play for free from Friday through Christmas Eve, starting at 7 p.m. in front of Jamba Juice and Starbucks Coffee. Access to the shopping center through the Long’s Drugs entrance will be closed for the duration of the light show, and customers are encouraged to use part of the parking lot fronting HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union and the entrance for seating.
An encore, or final performance for the year, will take place on Dec. 28 starting at 7 p.m.
Throughout the final days leading to Christmas, gift wrapping stations manned by various nonprofit groups will be set up at Deja Vu Surf Hawaii, which will be featuring Swim Kauai Aquatics and the Scouts of America, Troop 148.
